The Whiskey Papers #2 - The Good Tavern
What makes for a good, successful Inn or Tavern in the 1800s? There are many factors.
A close relationship with local agriculture. For an Innkeeper to succeed, the larder must be stocked. The miller sold the Innkeeper Whiskey and grain for breadmaking. The livestock farmer sold joints of meat, poultry, and game for roasts and other prepared meat. The local butcher comes into play here as well. Sausages could be produced by either the butcher or the Innkeeper. Further, the local merchants could provide those items otherwise not available. St. Albans was also rich in orchards that not only provided fresh fruits but could produce pie fillings and ciders. Finally, Alexandria had its own Tobacco Factory to provide local cigars, chewing and pipe tobacco. In short, the Innkeeper had to have a wide array of supply channels.
A close proximity to roads. Innkeepers generally do not rely on local customers. Although Innkeepers did not turn away local business, Innkeepers were there to provide a place for travellers to eat, drink, and sleep. To do this, an Inn or Tavern would be next to the road. St. Albans three Taverns -- The Edge of the Woods, Buxton's Tavern, and Blood's Tavern -- were all located along major teamster routes between Newark and Columbus. These Taverns could supply the teamster's needs, not just for the drivers but for the horses as well. Roads and travellers were the bread and butter of the Tavernkeeper's business.
The road from Granville was miserable. After leaving Granville, the road followed the Raccoon Creek flood plain. At the Alexandria end, there was a steep, muddy, and treacherous uphill climb out of the flood plain followed by plateau, then another uphill into Alexandria proper. Buxton's Tavern must have been a welcome relief to man and horse alike.
A tavern and a bar are two different entities. As demonstrated in a later paper, Blood's Tavern played host to the local Freemason activities. Blood's Tavern was considered a 'destination' for young men from Newark, and it has been said that many unofficial parties from Denison University were held at Blood's. Meanwhile, Buxton's Tavern was a polling place in local elections and a place where real estate and other transactions took place. Because Buxton's was in town and centrally located in St. Albans, many locals made use of Buxton's to conduct business.
This is a far cry from a place to go drink alcohol. Had that been the case, how can we explain the lack of Taverns north of town? It has been said that 150 years ago, the people north of Alexandria were 'louder' than their more solemn neighbors south of town. In other words, if you wanted whiskey, you went a few miles north of Alexandria. True or not, I cannot say, but if the Tavern were considered a bar, then we could expect to see taverns north of town. Instead, we find the farming neighborhood of Hardscrabble. Continuing north, you found New Way and Brooks' Corners. I find no evidence of these locales as whiskey producers. If they uncorked a jug, it was likely at someone's house, and the whiskey likely did not flow so liberally as said.
Before railroads, the Tavernkeeper was an important member of the Community. The Innkeeper not only had customers, the Innkeeper was a customer. For a family that stopped at one of our taverns, the Innkeeper wanted the business so that when their guests wrote home, St. Albans would be remembered as a place to stop for the night. Word of mouth is the best form of advertising. Therefore, the Innkeeper needed the best the community could offer to serve to guests -- this applies to a good whiskey as well as a good roast beef dinner.
For St. Albans, the ralroad helped sign the death sentence for the Taverns. Teamsters disappeared from the roads as good were carried in what railroads called LCL freight. LCL -- Less Than Carload -- was a bread and butter item for railroad. Today, the railroad might set out a boxcar at an industry, the industry packs the boxcar full of freight, then the car is attached to a train and taken to a destination. It is a business to business affair. But what if you order a stove, you know, one of those heavy cast iron monsters? The railroad would load it in an LCL boxcar. When the train stopped in Croton, it dropped off a new plow. At Johnstown, a crate of new china plates and a cider press were dropped off. In Alexandria, the stove was unloaded and a wagon picked up the stove and delivered it to your home. This is how LCL works. At no time was a Tavern involved.
The Demonized Tavern. The other movement that signed the death warrant for the Tavern was the Temperance Movement. Alcoholism is a disease, make no mistake. I have seen firsthand how alcoholism affects a person and it is not pretty. On the other hand, the Temperance Movement in the Railroad era called for complete abstinance. This had the effect of causing many Tavernkeepers, most of whom held strong religious beliefs, to reconsider their business and made the way for people like S. S. Anderson to open a hotel.
Some historical background. When the Fitch family, early settlers in St. Albans, entered Licking County, after leaving Schodack, New York, on July 7, 1836. They stopped in Newark on Monday, July 25, after completing their journey by canal.
On reaching Newark, we went to the Green Tavern, called so from the color of the house, on the east side of the square. Here we had dinner and then went up to Granville. Here we stopped at the Boardman Hotel, now owned by Ewing.
So here we have the words of Mary Fitch as she describes a tavern. It was a place for the weary traveller to rest and refresh. Although the Fitches went that extra mile to make Granville, they did so to be that much closer to their new home.
The Tavern was a way of life. It was a home to the keepers. It was a source of revenue and a business center. It was a focal point to local and traveller alike. It is an era gone by and one which today, we scarce understand. It is not about whiskey, it never was. It is about community and comfort in a harsh world.
What Taverns, Inns, and Hotels were in St. Albans? We can establish three main taverns within St. Albans and Alexandria,
⦁ Blood Tavern/Widow Blood's Tavern - This is the second oldest known tavern in St. Albans. Further discussion of this tavern is in Paper #7.
⦁ The Old Red Tavern/Buxton's House - There is some ambiguity about the actual name and location, but you will find an explanation in Papers #8 and #8A.
⦁ Edge of the Woods - Located on the old Worthington Road, this presents a very enigmatic and intriguing tavern. This tavern is covered in Paper #9.
There were other taverns that left no record,
⦁ Mills' Tavern - Located on Blood Hill, three cabins provided the earliest tavern in St. Albans. These are briefly covered in Paper #8.
⦁ Samuel Moore's Tavern - This tavern was the only structure between the Fitch land and Alexandria. No records are found beyod the property map.
⦁ "Orlando Dumbauld" Tavern - The only thing, as far as I know, that Orlando Dumbauld had to do with this is that the property he owned once played home to a tavern.
⦁ Santee's Tavern - This tavern was across from the present firehouse on Lot 8. This was the old hemp and rope factory. Little more is known.
Additionally, Alexandria had hotels,
⦁ The Patterson Hotel - The earliest hotel in Alexandria, some dispute exists over location. This was purchased by an interim owner before S. S. Anderson purchased the establishment.
⦁ The Alexandria House - For a brief time, Ezekiel Whitehead ran a hotel in the old Van Ness house. See Paper #14. This is now the Alexandria Museum.
⦁ S. S. Anderson 1, 2, and 3 - Sam Anderson ran a hotel in at least two locations.
To sum it up. The tavern was a vital institution from the early history of the colonies, through the western expansion, until the arrival of the railroads. It was both customer and provider in the community. It has dissappeared from today's society and has no replacement.
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